Birame Sock

A passionate promoter of products made in Africa.

At 49, Birame Sock is a businesswoman and developer who heads up the Kwely e-commerce site. After graduating from the University of Miami with degrees in computer science and communication in 1997, Birame Sock worked in the United States for 26 years, creating setting up companies and start-ups. In 2019, she returned to Senegal with an observation from the United States: African products are totally unknown. And that's why she wanted to promote them. So she launched a website selling products with the ‘Made in Africa’ label, from cosmetics to food products, all over the world. “Africa is the future, and if we don't seize the moment, others will do it for us.” Her start-up is banking on rebranding, offering products that are manufactured, tested and packaged in compliance with international standards. Alongside this, she’s launched Tekki Challenge, an incubation programme that selects producers each year and offers them support in developing their marketing strategy.